Automatic catching and supporting device.



J. J. SOICLUNA.

AUTOMATIC CATGHING AND SUPPORTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUI Y 21. 1908.

945,053. Patented Jan.4,1910.

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INVENTOH J. J. SGIOLUNA. AUTOMATIC GATGHING AND SUPPORTING DEVICE.APPLICATION IILED JULY 21. 1908.

945,053. Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

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W/TNESSLS; v INVENTOf? M X monzw. a. GRAHAM co. PuwuumoafilmiflsWASNINGTON, D. a

JOSEPH J. SCICLUNA, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC CATCI-IING AND SUPPORTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

Application filed. July 21, 1908. Serial No. 444,682.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. SCICLUNA, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Catching andSupporting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic catching andsupporting devices and its object is to provide a light, strong anddurable automatic support, simple and positive in operation, for thesupport of lamps, signals, etc. on land and aboard ships.

A further object is to provide means which will allow a rope or chain tobe pulled up to a positive stop, the rope or chain being then positivelycaught, and having a POSlT/IVG catch and release when the operation isrepeated.

With these objects in view, my invention consists in the constructionand combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 isa plan view of the catch. Fig. 2is a side view of the means for gripping the end of a rope or chain.Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the members thereof. Fig. 4 is a sideview of the gripping means, the parts being disassembled and one of theparts omitted. Fig. 5 is a view of the cams and guides shown in Fig. 9,developed into a plane. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the parts shownin Fig. 9, the lower parts of the gripping means being omitted. Fig. 7is a cross section of the complete device, attached to a pulley casing.Fig. 8 is a side view of the same, the cams and guides being shown indotted lines. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the swivel coupling, and Fig.10 is a top plan view of the swivel disk.

1 is a casing, preferably made of metal, in which is supported the ropegripping means. This casing is made in one piece and is tubular, theupper part being of smaller diameter than the lower partand providedwith journals 11 and 12. In the inside of the lower part double cams 38and 39 are provided, the upper parts of each cam being divergent, asshown at 43 and 47 and at 44 and 48, Figs. 5 and 8, leaving pockets 41and 42. These cams are arranged 180 apart and midway between them arethe centering blocks 40. Above these cams, on the inside of the casing,are a series of guides 45, 46, 49

and 50, which terminate in corners or seats 51, 52, 53 and 54, and theseguides and corners form a fence to stop the movement of the swivelcoupling hereinafter described. These cams and guides are made integralwith the casing. This coupling, in its preferred embodiment, consists ofa cone 2, perforated as shown at 56, this perforation being countersunk,as shown at 19, a swivel disk 3, perforated as shown at 55 and havingjournals 13 and 14, and parts on which said cone and disk are mounted.

15 represents a tubular rod enlarged, as shown at 16, forming a shoulder18, and still further enlarged forming a shoulder 17. Below the shoulder17, this part of the coupling is enlarged, forming a channel 27, and

is provided with a seat 24 and projections 20. This part of the couplingis provided with a perforation 21, through which passes a bolt 22,provided with a nut 23. The disk 3 is mounted on the part 16 andrevolves freely thereon. After the cone 2 is slipped over the part 15,the latter is chamfered outwardly (Fig. 2).

In Fig. 3, the clamp is shown detached. It is symmetrical in shape withthe lower part of the coupling, but oppositely arranged. It is providedwith a perforation 31, channel 26, a seat 25 andprojections 20. Thisclamp fits against the lower part of the coupling, being secured theretoby the bolt 22 and nut 23, and the lowest part of the clamp and thecoupling are made solid and curved, as shown at 28 and 29, forming aneye 30 in which a support for thelamp or I signal may be secured.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, 10 represents a rope which passes over apulley 8, which is revolubly mounted in the pulley bloc: 9. 6 and 7represent a pair of supports for the swivel coupling, which supports aresecured to the pulley block by screws 35. These supports are symmetricalwith respect to each other and each is composed of a bent metal plate,the plates being secured together by screws 34 passing through ears 32and 33 on the supports, thus forming a tubular shell, through which therope 10 passes. The lower part of this shell is flared outwardly and isprovided with bearings 36 and 37 for the reception of the journals 11and 12 of the swivel coupling.

In assembling the device, the rope 10 is passed over the pulley 8 andthen passed through the casing 1 and bent around the seat 24, resting onthe projections or sharp points 20. The clamp shown in Fig. 3 is thenplaced against the lower part of the coupling, binding the rope in theposition shown in Fig. 7, and the bolt 22 is placed in position andsecured by the nut 23. Instead of using a rope, a chain may be used, inwhich case the end link 58 of the chain, Fig. 7, engages the bolt Theoperation is as follows: The parts being in the position shown in Fig.7, the rope 10 is pulled so as to lift the swivel coupling. This causesthe plate 3 to rotate partially, as it rises, the journals 13 and 14bearing against the parts 47 and 48, the arrows in Fig. 5 showing themovement of the journals 13 and 14. \Vhen these journals strike thecorners 52 and 54 the upward motion is forcibly stopped. The rope 10 isthen loosened and the swivel coupling allowed to fall, by its own weightand the weight of the lamp or signal attached there to, to the desiredpoint, the journals 13 and 14 being then guided outside the parts 47 and48, so that the coupling is disengaged from the casing 1. In drawing upthe coup ling, the ournals 13 and 14 are directed into the space betweenthe parts 40 and the cams 3S and. 39, and the parts 43 and 44 guide thejournals 13 and 14. When these journals 13 and 14 strike the corners 51and 53, the upward motion is forcibly stopped. The rope is then releasedand the journals 13 and 14 drop into the pockets 41 and 42, in theoriginal position. I have described the plate 3 as provided with twoournals, but one of them may be omitted, if desired.

lVhile I have thus described my invention, I wish it to be distinctlyunderstood that I do not limit myself to the exact details shown anddescribed, as these might be varied widely without departing from thespirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In an automatic catching and supporting device, the combination of asupport, a hollow casing provided with cams and stops on its interiorand made integral therewith, and a coupling adapted to support a lamp orsignal, said coupling having a freelymovable part provided with aprojection adapted to engage said cams and stops, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an automatic catching and supporting device, the combination of asupport, a tubular casing carried thereby and having on its interiorcams, guides and stops made integral therewith, and a coupling havingmeans to which a lamp or signal may be attached, said coupling includinga plate freely movable thereon and provided with journals adapted toengage said cams, guides and stops, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic catching and supporting device, the combination of asupport, a

tubular casing carried thereby and provided on its interior with stopsand with oppositely-arranged cams and guides made integral therewith, acoupling having a disk or plate freely rotatable thereon, and havingjournals adapted to engage said cams, guides and stops, and flexiblesuspension means passing through said casing and attached to saidcoupling, substantially as described.

4. In an automatic catching and supporting device, the combination of apulley block, a tubular casing supported thereby and having on itsinterior stops, inclined guides and cams made integral therewith, acoupling adapted to be moved up and down in said casing, said couplingbeing provided with a plate or disk freely rotatable thereon, and havingjournals adapted to engage said cams, guides and stops, and a ropepassing through said block and casing and secured to said coupling,substantially as described.

5. In an automatic catching and supporting device, the combination of apulley block, a pulley therein, a tubular casing mounted on said block,said casing having on its interior cams, guides and stops made integraltherewith, a movable coupling in said casing, said coupling including afreelyrotatable plate having journals thereon adapted to engage saidcams, guides and stops, and a rope passing over said pulley and securedto said coupling, said coupling being provided with means for clampingthe ends of said rope, substantially as described.

6. In an automatic catching and supporting device, the combination of apulley block, a tubular guide member secured thereto, a tubular casingpivotally mounted in said member, said casing being provided on itsinterior with cams, guides and stops made integral therewith, a couplingadapted to be moved up and down in said casing, said coupling having aplate freely rotatable and provided with journals adapted to engage saidcams, guides and stops, and a rope passing through said block member andcasing and secured to said coupling, said coupling being provided withmeans for clamping the end of said rope, substantially as described.

7. In an automatic catching and supporting device, the combination of apulley block, a pulley therein, a tubular member secured to said block,a tubular casing pivotally supported by said member, said casing beingprovided with internal cams, guides and stops made integral therewith,and a rope passing over said pulley and through said block member andcasing and secured to said coupling, said coupling having means forclamping one end of said rope and having an eye to which a lamp orsignal may be secured, substantially as described.

8. In an automatic catching and supporting device, a tubular casing openat both ends and largest at the bottom and having on its interioroppositely-arranged cams and inclined guides made integral therewithsome of said guides terminating in corners and also provided Withcentering blocks, substantially as described.

9. In an automatic catching and supporting device, a coupling composedof an upper tubular portion, a conical part mounted on said tubularportion, a plate revolubly mounted on said portion beneath the conicalportion and having projecting journals, and a lower portion composed oftWo symmetrical parts bolted together, each 01": said parts having onits interior projections and a seat and said parts terminating inoppositely-arranged curved solid portions forming an eye, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOSEPH J. SGICLUNA.

Witnesses:

IRVING A. TARBoX, ESTELLA L. SCICLUNA.

